[haroldmathens]

I finally passed. You can see from my signature how much trouble I had with this horrible exam process. I failed 6 times consecutively before I actually passed one, and in total failed 9 times. I started on June 1, 2009 studying for FAR and finally ended on May 27, 2011. None of that really matters though once you pass it. All those hours spent on studying, all that time sacrificed hitting the books when you could have had fun with friends/family/doing nothing, all the money spent on additional materials and ridiculous exam fees, all that frustration after failing repeatedly, all that shame after telling your family, friends, and co-workers that you failed, all that BS that AICPA and NASBA put us through in waiting for the scores, all those all-nighters that you thought you’d never pull again since college, all that burden that was constantly at the back of your mind – it all washes away upon seeing your final score.

All I can say to my friends out there who are struggling through this exam is it will definitely be worth it once you see it through the end. Yes, there are people that take the CPA exam and pass on the first try, or fail once or twice here and there. But realize that every failure you have will only make the inevitable success that much sweeter.

Finally, I’ll give some tips that may help some of you:

1) Buy a test bank. Wiley or Gleim are great, and go through and understand the MCQs as if there’s nothing better to do in your spare time.

2) Make a study guide, or buy one (Jeff’s Ninja notes) and mark them up with your own notes. Carry this with you wherever you go and constantly refer back to it. If you have a smart phone, put it on there and refer to them instead of checking facebook or emails.

3) Don’t ever think failing means you’re stupid. It only means you have to work harder at what you’re weak on. I never, ever thought I’d pass this exam after failing every single section (multiple times) the first time around, but I knew that hard work will eventually win at the end of the day, and here I stand today.

4) Don’t let those d-bags at work who passed on the first try bring you down. Congratulate them, smile, and move on. I have so many of these people around me at work that it’s exhausting being around them, but the more you focus on your goal and less on external matters (i.e., jerks at work), the more likely you are to succeed.

5) Don’t let this exam consume you. By that, I mean to make time for your family and friends here and there. If you can’t spend time with them, call them on your study breaks and just catch up or say hello. It’ll make you feel better about yourself and you’ll likely get some much needed support from them, which ends up going a long way.

Well, that’s all I got. I’ve never been a frequent poster here, but just had to share a little something with everyone. I’ve been lurking around here a long time, and just as so many have mentioned, it feels great knowing there’s a strong, intelligent community going through the same. I really wish the best for all of you, and hope that none of you will give up.

FAR - 81 (7/19/10)
AUD - 79 (5/19/10)
BEC - 79 (11/30/10)
REG - 78 (5/27/11)

[Joey J]

Great post. Very honest, very constructive. Congratulations on your wonderful achievement, you really deserve it. I hope you celebrate well, it must be a tremendous feeling. I hope to get the same someday soon, but I have been choking on AUD. I did buy Yaeger (Wiley) and Gleim question bank to complement Becker though. One question: why do you call the people you work with d-bags just for passing on the first attempt? Do you feel they all ganged up on you somehow, or made classless remarks? Let's not forget that those folks deserve hearty congratulations too. It may appear they may be gloating, but in reality, they may be just as happy, relieved and grateful as you are (and I hope to be). Cheers to all who pass and who are trying very hard to do so as well!

[jeff]

Good stuff!

Jeff Elliott, CPA (KS) | Another71 | NINJA CPA | NINJA CMA | NINJA CPE

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